CNN Finally Notices Buzzfeed Does Journalism, Snags Its Talent

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CNN Finally Notices Buzzfeed Does Journalism, Snags Its Talent

Among certain old-media types, you'll still sometimes hear the stale refrain that Buzzfeed is a purveyor of substance-free listicles, not serious news. Why, here's one such old-media type, CNN President Jeff Zucker, quoted in August:

"I don’t think Vice and Buzzfeed are legitimate news organizations. They are native advertising shops. We crush both of them."

Ironic, then, that today brings word that CNN has hired crack Buzzfeed political reporter Andrew Kaczynski and members of his team just five weeks before the presidential election. Kaczynski has proven himself a scoop machine, dogging Donald Trump's campaign with, most recently, the revelation that Trump appeared (clothed) in a softcore porn video in 2000. He also uncovered the 2002 Howard Stern interview in which Trump said he supported the US invasion of Iraq, contradicting the GOP candidate's continued lie about opposing the war from the start.

Huffington Post reports that Kaczynski and crew gave notice today and start at CNN tomorrow. That has to hurt if you're Buzzfeed. But with the election just 35 days away, no one has time for two weeks' notice. Kaczynski's boss, Buzzfeed Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith, clearly isn't thrilled by the loss. But he's finding at least one small consolation: